Taming of the Shrew

This Shakespearean comedy is often viewed as a problematic play because of the shades of misogyny that it exhibits in the treatment of the rebellious Katarina (Kian Pitman). In the story her resistance to adhering to norms of femininity that favour subservience and compliance, suggest that she requires taming by her money grabbing suitor Petruchio (JP Vizcay-Wilson).

Austin aims to counteract these problematic elements by switching gender roles and offering the choice to the audience as to whether the roles should be swapped to Katerino and Petruchia. This is done as an experiment to explore the different power dynamics this might produce and means that each performance can be quite different. Katerina’s younger sister (considered a model of femininity in the story) is changed to younger brother Bianco (Lucas Dwyer). This also diffuses the anti-feminist elements and allows the production to focus on the comedy.

In this performance the audience voted against a gender reversal in the lead roles and provided the opportunity for a Katarina who has more agency. The relationship between Petruchio and Katarina is portrayed more as a collision between two like-minded individuals who rebel against society. Her complicity in appearing to be tamed by Petruchio is portrayed as her working in collusion with him to help focus on or expose the ridiculous machinations behind the competition for the hand of Bianco in marriage. This allows the production to highlight the ways in which marriage is viewed and negotiated by society as an economic exchange that will contribute to social status. The reference to the different Melbourne suburbs reiterated the continued or timeless importance of appearances and social standing as a factor in romantic relationships. 

The entire cast is very invested in providing a lively and energetic performance and each performer has the opportunity to shine. The cast also included Ali Samaei (Sly/Tailor), Jackson Cross (Grumio), Lucas Dwyer (Bianco), Charlie Morris (Lucentia), (Petruchio/Katerino), Lyndall Grant (Baptista), Chris Broadstock (Vincentio/Curtis), Kaia Reyes (Biondella), Oliver Gorringe (Widower), Gisele Forsyth (Hortensia), Daniel Hillman (Pedant), Smeeta Singh (Gremio), Imogen Rabbitte (Trania), (Katerina/Petruchia). 

The excellent choice of songs, the musical arrangement and the delivery shows acumen in the musical direction (Natalie Calia). The set (Leah Downey) and costume design (Jemima Eva) are kept simple and almost cartoon-like to echo the more frivolous approach to the text. The outdoor setting is very evocative and creates a more relaxed opportunity to experience a Shakespeare play. Central Park Malvern can be a challenging space for acoustics, but the entire cast works very hard to offset this difficulty.

This delightful production points to the need to revisit the play without sidestepping the questionable gender politics inherent in the original text.

Patricia Di Risio